TaylorMade P790 Irons Review

TaylorMade say that with the P790 they have created a forged distance iron for better players, which all sounds pretty good.

It's not quite all forged though, as the wrap around face is forged from 4140 Carbon Steel and then welded onto a cast 8620 carbon steel body. Therefore the bit you hit the ball with is forged, so you have that feel and the rest of the head has a few surprises too.

The P790 is a hollow head that has a screw in the toe through which 4g of SpeedFoam is injected into the cavity and expands to four times its size to fill it and support the forged face that is just 1.75mm thick in places.

A hollow 'forged' head filled with foam might sound like a reaction to what PXG are doing, but TaylorMade actually has some history here as their R9 iron from 2009 also had foam inside the head.

Also inside the 3 to 7 irons is a high density tungsten weight in the back of the bottom of the cavity to increase the MOI throughout the set.

In front of this is the Cut-Thru Speed Pocket on the sole of the 3 to 7 irons where that thinner face can flex a little to increase ball speeds.

TaylorMade say the P790 has the look and feel of a players iron and to be fair when you put it down at address it does look very good with a larger than average blade size throughout the set.

The top line of the 79mm long blade, hence the name, is thicker than most for a head of this size and it does inspire confidence, as does the extra little bit of offset.

In the bag the P790 looks great too with a modern design that is clean with a matt finish offset by a polished chrome strip on the back that goes around the toe.

Combined with the toe screw and the square font for the numbers, the P790 is one of the best looking irons TaylorMade has done.

However it is all about performance and compared to the slightly smaller P770 irons, you can see how the design has a big distance advantage over the more traditionally constructed forged models in the P700 range.

Comparing the 6-irons in the three sets on GC2, the ball speed from the P790 was 3-5 mph higher and combined with a 900 rpm lower spin was giving 10 yards extra carry over the P770 at the same club head speed of 89 mph.

Before you stop reading and head to your nearest TaylorMade retailer, I should point out that the P790 6-iron is 3° stronger than the other two models at 26.5°, so maybe this is not so surprising.

It's the classic debate or what the number on an iron means and as usual they have gone with peak height which you can see is about the same, but with the ball going faster with less spin, it's also going to go further. It also may go further on landing due to that lower spin, so it is important to ensure that it is stopping quickly enough for you too.

Whilst it is portrayed as more forgiving, the P790 was about as consistent as the other models, as my range of spin and distance varied by 5 yards or so either side of the average, so the difference between them is really ball speed and carry.

That difference could be me or the shaft and it should also be noted that I was using the lighter True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 shaft in the P790 compared to the stock KBS Tour FLT 120 shaft in the P770 that is 15g heavier.

The feel from this new lighter shaft in the P790 was excellent and you really felt you could zip the club head through impact, but it may be too light for some better players.

It is really in the 7-iron and upwards where you start to the feel the benefit of the technology on the P790 irons as the larger head, SpeedPocket slots, tungsten weighting and cavity all come together in the same head.

The flow of the set goes a little in the 8 iron and down to the wedge as the head construction loses the slot and the tungsten. The wedge felt quite springly compared to a forged blade so that may be an issue for some low handicappers.

Generally the sound and feel was a little on the hollow side, but when you caught one there was a lovely 'zip' to the feel, but that did not seem not really consistent enough through the set and this can happen in sets that merge different head constructions.

Technically the P790 is a great club, but as a players' iron it maybe lacks the feel and consistent control to work as a full set. The short irons are maybe not sharp enough, but I could see players blending the 3, 4 and maybe 5 irons into one of the other P700 sets.

You get the feeling that high single figure players could use the P790 and whilst it may work for them, there are now so many slightly larger headed irons that are cheaper and offer more forgiveness that they should look at, starting with the TaylorMade M1 2017.

If the P790 heads were larger then maybe they could put slots all the way down to help the consistency and with the great looks they could be onto a winner with a set of irons aimed at 6-12 handicappers.

However a players set is where we are right now and of the four models, the P790 is the most forgiving with a generous head and plenty of ball speed so if that fits in with your needs and budget then it would be a worthy choice.

User Reviews

Nick

October 2018

I have been using the P790's for about 6 months. After an adjustment period, I've learned to hit these Irons well, not very well, but well. This isn't the clubs fault, its my swing, but I digress. These are beautiful clubs, and if you hit them right, your ball is going far, very far. Make no mistake, these are a players iron, and if you are hitting mid 80's like myself there is going to be an adjustment period. The sound is something I do not like, it always sounds like a mishit with its 'click'. The biggest criticism I have is the 8, 9, and PW. They don't have the feel and the finesse that your lower lofts should have, and they are not as forgiving as the higher lofted irons.

Hammer

August 2018

Have used these for a few games. Consistent feel, good sound but noticed no significant difference in length compared to my old Adams game improvement clubs. Like the look and feel but could likely have got similar performance from much less expensive irons.

adyl007

August 2018

Months ago I purchased a set of M4 s because I thought well, I am a high handicap so I need more of a game improving iron. After months of playing golf and lessons I continued to have issues. It was finally brought to my attention that maybe the clubs were a bit of an issue for my style of swing. I am sometimes inconsistent but overall a good ball-striker. I read some articles about how to choose the right irons and came across a few articles discussing personal feel and style of swing. Many of them discuss only handicap. I made the mistake before purchasing the M4s reading many articles and being convinced that I needed that type of club.When I went to dicks the salesman agreed high handicap equals game improvement irons.

Well I can tell you after about an hour with the p790's it became apparent I made the wrong selection. With the seven iron my ball carry was at least 20 yards farther than the M4's...20 yards consistently! I couldn't get over how well these clubs felt and the forgiveness was exceptional. So my suggestion is do as much research as you can and find out why you are a high handicap before assuming the type of irons you need...for me there isn't a set of irons out there that would of helped my inconsistentcy. Now when I strike the ball the outcome is beautiful. Also, I sometimes hit fat and the larger M4 irons made that worse. These took 10 strokes off my game.

BobM

July 2018

Quit the game 30 years ago, a 7 handicap playing Wilson Tour Grind Custom irons, 1 thru sand wedge. Started again this year and these irons are unbelievable for me...the feel of a forged iron. I hit tour grind 8 iron 145 yards 30 years ago, Just turned 70, just started playing again and hit the P790 8 iron 145 yards...took 30 years off my life!

Bswing

April 2018

I love these irons. Got the 3-PW back in Feb. Can't wait to use them in warmer weather. Always love the blade look.

Dwil50

April 2018

Got the P790’s as a birthday gift as I play Srixon Z 945 muscle irons. I have 4 thru 7 P790’s and 8 thru PW Z 945’s. They are definitely a player's iron. Lots of distance and very workable and I love them and the mix is perfect. Thanks TaylorMade - good job!!!

Locky

February 2018

Hi I’ve been using the P790 with a KBS C Taper 110 gm shaft for 2 months. They are closed but I have changed loft and lie to componsate absolutely love them I’ve had over 10 years 6 different Taylor sets and these by far are quite amazing both in gaining height and distance as well. I’m a +1 handicapper and has improved my game quite amazingly the boys at the Taylormade fitting centre in MGA range in melb were very helpful. Thanks